Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is opposing a compromise transportation funding plan backed by both his likely Democratic opponent and the state’s Republican governor.

“With Virginia families and business facing rising gas prices, increased regulatory burdens and taxes from the federal government, and the fiscal impact of the federal health care law dramatically rising as we approach the 2014 implementation, we cannot ask them to fund another enormous tax increase,” Cuccinelli said in a statement announcing his opposition.

Cuccinelli’s stance puts the tea party star at odds with Terry McAuliffe, his likely Democratic opponent for the governorship in 2013, and with the state’s current governor, Republican Bob McDonnell. McDonnell, a rising star who was mentioned as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney, having issued a statement commending the Legislature for working together.

“With the approval of this transportation plan we will strengthen Virginia’s economy, help create thousands of good-paying jobs, and improve the lives of every Virginian in every city and county,” McDonnell said. “I urge the members of the general assembly to approve this bill.”

McAuliffe, a businessman and former DNC chairman, said in a statement on Wednesday that he opposed an element of the plan diverting general fund revenues to transportation, but applauded McDonnell and the Legislature. McAuliffe said he would support the bill.

In a statement Thursday, a McAuliffe spokesman blasted the attorney general’s opposition.

“Ken Cuccinelli’s attempt to derail a bipartisan mainstream compromise threatens real progress on transportation and would guarantee political and literal gridlock for the foreseeable future,” spokesman Josh Schwerin said. “Cuccinelli’s work to undermine this mainstream proposal reflects his unique unwillingness to compromise under any circumstances. Once again, Ken Cuccinelli has demonstrated that his ideological agenda is outside even the Republican mainstream.”

McAuliffe and Cuccinelli are in a dead heat, with each drawing 38 percent of the vote, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The wild card is Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who dropped out of a GOP primary battle with Cuccinelli but has hinted at an independent bid. In a three-way race, Bolling would draw 13 percent of the vote, and McAuliffe would squeak ahead of Cuccinelli, 34 percent to 31 percent.

Bolling also supports the compromise plan.

The compromise, which was crafted by members of a conference committee in the Virginia Legislature, would eliminate the state’s current gas tax and raise the sales tax from 5 percent to 5.3 percent. It would also create a 3.5 percent wholesale gas tax and include other revenue increases. Details of the plan were still being worked out, and a final version of the bill wasn’t available Wednesday, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Transportation has long been a top issue in the Old Dominion. Roads in Northen Virginia have become increasingly clogged as population boomed in the Washington suburbs. The state was scheduled to run out of road construction money in 2017.